Fisheries Minister Dave Kelly under fire over shark drum line delays

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Fisheries Minister Dave Kelly is under fire over his department’s referral of the smart drum-line trial to the environmental watchdog amid accusations he is trying to sabotage the measure.

Some of the most senior members of the McGowan Government are believed to have been caught off guard last week when a proposed trial of non-lethal shark drum lines at Gracetown was sent to the Environmental Protection Authority at the 11th hour.

The referral was made by the fisheries division of the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development last month.

“He was very reluctant to make a commitment to the trial, he exaggerated the cost of the trial as a point of obfuscation ... and I think this is pretty consistent with the minister’s approach to smart drum lines.”